Tucson Gi/pediatric Celiac Doctors

My mom was diagnosed with Celiac. Now my daughter has been having stomach problems since she was a baby, and has had some strange food cravings, such as sneaking flour and eating it dry by the fistful. She had a negative growth chart, severe constipation, reflux, and bacteria and fungal overgrowth in her small intestines, but tested negative for Celiac at the age of 4. The test also showed she was low in iron.

For several years her symptoms improved. Her growth chart moved into the 10th percentile and stayed there. Her constipation was manageable with Senakot, and her stomach pain lessened.

This summer her stomach pain returned with a vengeance. It occurred more often, and was followed by severe vomiting. We placed her on a gluten-free diet, and then tested her for Celiac. Again, the test came back negative, but her vomiting has lessened substantially. It could be Celiac. It could be something else.

We are at a complete loss, and desperate to help her. Can anybody recommend a good GI, pediatric doctor in Tucson?

My mom was diagnosed with Celiac. Now my daughter has been having stomach problems since she was a baby, and has had some strange food cravings, such as sneaking flour and eating it dry by the fistful. She had a negative growth chart, severe constipation, reflux, and bacteria and fungal overgrowth in her small intestines, but tested negative for Celiac at the age of 4. The test also showed she was low in iron.

For several years her symptoms improved. Her growth chart moved into the 10th percentile and stayed there. Her constipation was manageable with Senakot, and her stomach pain lessened.

This summer her stomach pain returned with a vengeance. It occurred more often, and was followed by severe vomiting. We placed her on a gluten-free diet, and then tested her for Celiac. Again, the test came back negative, but her vomiting has lessened substantially. It could be Celiac. It could be something else.

We are at a complete loss, and desperate to help her. Can anybody recommend a good GI, pediatric doctor in Tucson?

This summer her stomach pain returned with a vengeance. It occurred more often, and was followed by severe vomiting. We placed her on a gluten-free diet, and then tested her for Celiac. Again, the test came back negative, but her vomiting has lessened substantially. It could be Celiac. It could be something else.

You did that backwards. How long was she gluten-free before you got the celiac test? The test doesn't work on people who have been gluten-free for a couple months. It can also be hard to get positive tests in kids. With the family history it would make sense to keep her on the diet and see if it helps.

The flour cravings suggest she is getting the narcotic effect from gliadorphin, an opiate-like peptide in wheat. This only happens to people with digestive problems, and it can cause a lot of problems. She probably also needs to be off casein because milk has similar peptides.

I was given the name of Dr. Moussa, Catalina Pediatrics 323-3099 as a Celiac-friendly Pediatrician. You may ask her office for a reco.

Thank you so much for the information, Pricklypear1971. Love your sign in name. I'll be following up on both your recommendations. There has got to be something I can do for her. Waiting is no longer an option.

You did that backwards. How long was she gluten-free before you got the celiac test? The test doesn't work on people who have been gluten-free for a couple months. It can also be hard to get positive tests in kids. With the family history it would make sense to keep her on the diet and see if it helps.

The flour cravings suggest she is getting the narcotic effect from gliadorphin, an opiate-like peptide in wheat. This only happens to people with digestive problems, and it can cause a lot of problems. She probably also needs to be off casein because milk has similar peptides.

Hi Skylark.

Because she was responding so well to the gluten-free diet, I couldn't bare to take her off it for the test. Believe me. I thought about it, but I don't think she would have done it. By then, she was tired of hurting and throwing up. She had been on it for about a month prior to the test so the results didn't surprise me.

The Casein information is interesting. Never heard of that before. Milk is something she naturally stays away from. She's never been able to tolerate it. Thank you for the information. I'll be looking into the narcotic effect from gliadorphin. The whole flour craving thing threw me off....

Poor little one. I sure understand you refusing to gluten challenge with her. There is some information on the opiate-like peptides here. I've found more information in the scientific literature on the milk peptides, called casomorphins, but gluten definitely has similar actions to milk.